He had to be brave to fly 25 missions over Germany during World War II and he choose to be loyal to the community that he grew up in, giving back to his alma maters.

On Monday, friends and family members said goodbye to Provencio, 93, during his funeral at St. Patrick Cathedral, just blocks away from his childhood neighborhood, Sunset Heights. He died at home peacefully on Jan. 24.

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Aaron Bracamontes

"My father loved telling tales of his adventures from the war," said daughter Teresa Provencio. "And he loved talking about how he fell in love with my mom."

Juan Provencio was married to Maria Luisa Provencio for 68 years. Together they had eight children, three grand children and three great-grandchildren.

"He spent as much time with them as he could," his daughter said.

The family was touched and honored by Monday's turnout, Teresa Provencio said.

"It's amazing," she said. "You don't really realize how someone can touch so many lives until they are dead."

As a child, Juan Provencio attended St. Patrick Catholic School and Cathedral High School. He was an accomplished athlete on the baseball field and the basketball court, as well as the yell leader for the Fighting Irish, according to his obituary.

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Juan Provencio went to the College of Mines, now UTEP, until he was accepted to the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942.

A year later, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and awarded his pilot wings and assigned to fly the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.

During the war, Juan Provencio flew 21 missions as a co-pilot and four as a pilot. Some of the missions required him to take trips over Norway and Germany, earning Air Medals. He was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross by General Curtis LeMay.

Rudy Gutierrez—El Paso Times Maria Luisa Provencio pours holy water over the urn holding the remains of her husband, World War II veteran Juan Provencio during graveside ceremonies Monday at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.

Dr. Joseph E. Torres, 90, knew Juan Provencio in high school and worked on B-17 planes during the war. Together they formed a veteran group.

"It was rare because not many of us (from El Paso) got in the air cadet program," Torres said. "He was always a tremendous friend."

Originally, the small group had five veterans, but after Juan Provencio's funeral, that number is down to three, Torres said.

"We got together for lunch about eight months ago," Torres said. "We all knew things were getting close for him."

Juan Provencio left the military and then was recalled in 1952. He traveled the country and the world, eventually serving as an Air Commando Squadron Commander in Panama and the ALCE Commander in Pleiku, Vietnam.

"He would tell his stories and we would hear them over and over," Teresa Provencio said. "Then you would see a story on the History Channel and realize what he went through and it would take your breath away."

In 1972, Juan Provencio finally retired with enough adventures for multiple lifetimes. But it didn't stop him from returning to El Paso and getting his degree from UTEP, his family said.

He later served as the director for Goals for El Paso and worked at Rudolph Miles and Sons.

Meanwhile, he regularly attended St. Patrick Cathedral, was a UTEP athletics fan, was a member of the Sierra Club and supported Cathedral High School through an alumni association.

As a veteran, Juan Provencio volunteered at the War Eagles Air Museum and a member of the retired pilots club, the Daedalians. Up until December, he still was attended meetings for all the organization he was a part of.

"He was a spectacular person, who was admired and loved by many," Teresa Provencio said. "Just a top-notch man."

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